Title: No One Belongs Here More Than You
Author: Miranda July
Publisher: Scribner
Pub Date: May 6, 2008
Format: Paperback
Pages: 201
Source: Purchased
Genre(s): Short Stories, Contemporary, Fiction
Rating: ★★★
Goodreads || Buy on Amazon

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Synopsis from Goodreads:

Screenwriter, director, and star of the acclaimed film Me and You and Everyone We Know, Miranda July brings her extraordinary talents to the page in a startling, sexy, and tender collection.

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My review:

“I really did not feel okay about any of this, and there was really nothing I could do about any of it.”

This is a collection of stories by Miranda July. I will now present to you a collection of my thoughts about this book, because I can’t seem to figure out what I want to say (at least, not in a coherent way).

Upon further consideration, I recommend you read only one or two of the stories at a time. These stories will give you an odd feeling. You will probably feel uncomfortable. I highly doubt you will crack a single smile. These are not happy stories. On the other hand, they are extremely well-written. There is no doubt that July is a skilled writer. She is an artist in every sense of the word.

To give you a sense of what to expect, I would say to expect nothing and everything. Expect angst. And sex. And heartache. Expect life. The stories are told from multiple perspectives (young, old, male, female, straight, queer, etc.) but July’s voice is very distinctive in each story.

I will leave you with this excerpt from the book:

“Do you have doubts about life? Are you unsure if it’s worth the trouble? Look at the sky: that is for you. Look at each person’s face as you pass on the street: those faces are for you. And the street itself, and the ground under the street and the ball of fire underneath the ground: all these things are for you. They are as much for you as they are for other people. Remember this when you wake up in the morning and think you have nothing. Stand up and face the east. Now praise the sky and praise the light within each person under the sky. It’s okay to be unsure. But praise, praise, praise.”